Results of the Friday by-polls in two wards of two urban local bodies in the State announced on Saturday came as a rude shock to the ruling BJD ahead of panchayat polls due in February 2017.
The BJD had the consolation of wining the third by-election held in the Umarkote Municipality in Nabarangpur district.
Most importantly, the BJD nominee lost the prestigious by-poll in the Ward-21 (reserved for women) of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), which was wrested by the Congress.
Congress candidate Gouri Das’ (in pix) win against her BJD rival Tulashi Behera by a whopping margin of 217 votes was significant as the ward comes under the constituency of the BJD’s Cuttack-Barabati MlA Debashis Samantray.
This meant that denizens of Rajabagichha, which is a core area of the city and where the MlA resides, rejected the BJD for its leaders’ involvement in the NFSA card distribution scam. The by-poll was a prestige battle for the BJD in general and the MlA in particular as the seat was held by BJD Corporator and CMC Mayor Anita Behera, whose resignation had necessitated the by-election. She had to resign from the post for her involvement in the NFSA card imbroglio.
It was a prestige issue particularly for MlA Samantray as his sister-in-law (younger brother’s wife) Sikha Samantray had campaigned for the Congress. Citing allegations of torture by Debashis in the family, Sikha had appealed to voters to reject the BJD candidate with the words, “If he (Debashis) does not care his family, imagine how he cares for people.”
The BJD also suffered a setback as the Congress won the by-poll for Ward-9 Councillor seat of the Buguda NAC in Ganjam district.
Congress candidate Nagabhushan Achari defeated his BJD rival Krutibas Swain by 106 votes. The BJP candidate finished third.
However, the results of the by-poll in Ward-12 of the Umarkote Municipality came as a small relief to the BJD. Here, its candidate Bhanumati Mazoomdar defeated her Congress rival Abha Pandey by 198 votes. The BJP was in the third position.